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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — to get on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — a committee
  17. charge — a price
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — of water
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com